Twisted Attraction
by GinjaSnap
Summary: Set after Edward leaves in New Moon, Bella can't escape her fate as a vampire, now she's a nomad running with the LaPush wolf pack. She and Paul have an arrangement that suits both their needs until the new guy shows up. He can't resist the fact that she's his enemy, he can't resist the attraction. It really is lemons & Love. Bella/Paul Bella/New Guy, MA!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU START THIS STORY – While I haven't finished writing my first story, I was tackled by an idea for a new one. Seems, I have a little smut writer inside of me that wanted something a little more exciting than my last adventure. That being said, this story is for adults! It has sex, mature content, and other stuff of a NC-17 nature. Please don't put on my conscience the act of corrupting minors with material not fit for them. There are plenty of lovely stories out there for you to read until you get a little older.**

**Now, I'm still using Twilight as a shell for this fic, but we're going to dabble in the werewolf/vampire world and we're coming in after Edward leaves in New Moon. I don't like Edward, I don't want to write a romance novel for him, so I'm not gonna. But, I am bringing in a new character. Hope you guys enjoy! Read and review so I know whether to pursue this thing further. **

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

_***** Chapter 1 – Unexpected Viewer *****_

The dry leaves crunched under his feet and he quieted every muscle in his body, straining his ears to listen for any movement around him. His thudding heartbeat was pounding through his mind, and little frosted puffs of air pushed outwards with his accelerated breath. He couldn't track the rhythm of any other heart, aside from his own, in his surroundings, but he knew she had to make a move at some point; he simply needed to quiet the adrenaline surging through his system to find her. But, it was so difficult as he became more excited by the anticipation, mentally drunk on the idea of her taste on his tongue.

Finally a twig snapped to the right of him and his body surged forward on all four feet, taking off towards the sound, heading towards the rocky crags of the shoreline. He caught sight of long mahogany hair twisting between the trees in front of him and pushed his limbs to quicken their pace, closing the distance between wolf and prey.

Her taunting laugh filled the air as she leapt gracefully over the break in the ground, crossing above the little creek that wound through the forest.

"Gonna have to be faster than that. Catch me if you can!" Her voice reached out like the crook of a finger beckoning him closer to her location.

Skidding to a stop as the trees gave way to a clearing, his gaze fell on the female that was backed up against a rock wall, her lithe figure standing out from the shades of white and grey granite that served as a back drop.

Even though she appeared trapped, her eyes weren't darting left and right searching for an escape, no, they locked stares with the mammoth canine stalking towards her. A victorious howl escaped his throat as he lifted his snout into the air.

"If it wasn't bad enough that your foul stench pollutes the air all throughout this forest, must you also offend the ears with your carrying on? I'm sure all your little wolfie friends for miles around heard you."

For all their running, the female in front of him wasn't the least bit out of breath. Then again, that inhuman not needing to breathe trait of hers meant she could run for miles and miles without feeling any exhaustion.

But, the way she smelled? That had changed. True, there was no blood flowing in a panic through her frozen veins, but her heightened scent mingled with his in the air, bolstering his courage to stay the course and quickly close the distance between them.

With a shiver of fur that rippled down his back, Paul was upright, fully transformed and placing his hands on either side of her head, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Hmm, if I had to go by the smell of your arousal, I'd say there's something about the way I smell that appeals to you."

His mouth found its way down the column of her throat, and he placed his hands in the front of her flannel shirt before tearing the material apart, exposing firm breasts and rose colored nipples that contrasted to the paleness of her cool skin. He took one tight bud into his fingers, pinching down and massaging it roughly. The female beneath him had yet to make a sound, but that was part of the fun, getting her to let go of the control she kept a firm grip on.

Contrary to Paul's current train of thought, Bella was already drowning in the sensations his mouth was creating as he had made his way down her body, onto his knees and working at the closure of her jeans. He would take turns using his tongue to trail across her skin and then biting down on her flesh, pulling the material down her legs revealing her nakedness beneath the material.

Not surprisingly, Paul in all his testosterone fueled excitement over chasing Bella through the woods to their meeting place had failed to notice a second set of paws chasing after them. She didn't recognize the scent of this particular wolf and therefore she assumed that he was unaware of how things were in this neck of the woods and saw her as the enemy. She could have easily backtracked and confronted him, but it had been too long since she had released some sexual tension, so she used the intruder to only add to the thrill of today's adventure.

He had come to a halt just short of the clearing, waiting to see what plan of attack Paul had in mind for taking down the female vampire before jumping in to assist. When Paul had transformed, he became confused and the muscles of his back legs coiled to spring forward before feeling an invisible force pinning him to the ground. He couldn't move, not to retreat and run from the clearing or sound a distress call, not even to turn his head. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart, willing his body to change back to its human form, and finding himself trapped once again.

When he opened his eyes again, it was to stare directly into a pair of amber eyes locked with his. Her gaze seemed to pull him in even further as Paul took one of her legs and lifted it over his shoulder, placing his mouth on her sex. The man's head bobbed with the working of his tongue, and the female's mouth fell open, a low moan escaping across her lips. Paul lifted his head from Bella's body before taking his free hand and running his fingers along her wetness and slipping two fingers deep inside.

Finally Bella broke her gaze from the wolf hidden in the woods and arched her neck back, reveling in the sensation of Paul's heated fingers sliding in and out of her body, his knuckles hitting that little spot that sent a jolt of pleasure through her limbs with each stroke, causing her legs quiver. Feeling her pleasure, his tongue flattened against her clit and picked up a quicker rhythm than his fingers, pulling her body towards orgasm. For a second, it felt as if the sensations would overtake her concentration on holding the shield cage she had placed around the stranger, but she forced her eyes open to meet his gaze once again before coming all over Paul's hand.

In an instant, Bella had pushed Paul back from her and leapt away from the rock wall, her body already in a run. Paul jumped onto her retreating form and tackled her to the ground, not caring about how she fell underneath his weight. She was already rearing up on all fours, her vampire strength giving her the ability to push back, while Paul ripped the remains of her shirt off her back, leaving the two of them naked. He quickly latched his mouth onto her shoulder, biting down while pushing his hardened cock deep into her flesh still wet from his mouth and her release. Bella pushed back into him as his hips started pounding into her body, faster and harder with each thrust.

Paul's mouth released from Bella's shoulder before he took her hair in one hand, pulling her head back, "Fuck, it has been too damn long since I've had you."

"Then why are you holding back? Take me, damn it," was the smart reply that crossed her lips in response.

Paul pulled her up onto her knees, not breaking the connection between their bodies, and gripping her hips, he started moving her up and down on his shaft, "Touch yourself."

Bella placed two fingers inside her mouth, swirling her tongue around the digits before sliding them down between her lips and running lazy circles around her clit. She looked at the beast panting in the grass in the distance and winked at him. Hearing his whimper in reply only spurred on her excitement at being watched, and another orgasm began, clutching onto Paul's cock and bringing him over the edge with her.

Panting over Bella's shoulder, Paul tried to catch his breath, resting against the cold woman that hadn't moved away from him.

"Damn it, I reek of you now, not to mention my clothes are a wreck. This is why I keep a pile of Goodwill finds with your name on them. Because I knew you wouldn't resist ripping and tearing away the material like some animal."

Paul's responding laugh rumbled against her back, "Aw, B, you know you love it. Tell me I didn't give you what you wanted."

"Get off," Bella playfully shoved him off of her before making her way over to her discarded shirt and jeans and picking them up, "Oh, and go tell your new guy to stand down."

"What?" Paul's post-coital haze cleared quickly as he realized, for the first time, that they weren't alone, "Fuck, B, what did you do?"

Bella looked over at the trapped wolf that had closed his eyes as if looking to escape from the scene he was trapped in, "I locked him down. Look, he was going to attack. You would have sensed him if you weren't using the wrong head as your guide. I didn't want the interruption, and I have to admit, he added to the excitement. Who knew I was an exhibitionist?" Placing on hand on her hip, she sauntered over to her prisoner sassily.

"He saw the whole thing?" Paul ran his hand down his face, "Geez, Bella, let him go already."

"Fine, fine, but if he takes a snap at me, I'll make him pay. One of you should have explained that I'm off limits to your wolf protective instinct."

"Sorry, he's new and obviously Jake hasn't gotten around to it."

Bella looked at the russet colored canine, feeling a little guilty about trapping him without warning, "What's his name?"

"Mato, but we all just call him Matt."

Still naked, Bella bent down to look into Matt's face, "Well, it's nice to meet you Matt, hope you enjoyed the show." Laughing at the disgruntled look on the wolf's face and ignoring his responsive snarl, Bella ran off into the forest, releasing the hold she had on the man.

Having exhausted all energy in trying to escape his binds, Matt found himself shaking off his wolf form and becoming human again. Growling, he punched Paul in the shoulder, "What the fuck was that?"

"Um, that's complicated, and I think Jake needs to be the one filling you in on the important parts, being pack leader. So, why don't we go find him?"

Paul quickly fazed back and took off in the opposite direction of Bella, leaving

Matt to follow his lead.

**Told you it was gonna be a little on the naughty side. ; )**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: So, what's a girl to do when she writes a new story and it barely gets glanced at? *sigh* I suppose such is the life of a writer. Maybe we'll pick up a few more people along the way. Anyhow, this story isn't complete fluff, there's a plot line to be carried out. Thanks for those of you who signed on for this newest adventure!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight**

_***** Chapter 2 – How We Came To Be *****_

Mat chased after Paul's retreating form, familiar with the path to Sam and Emily's home. The smell of pasta hit his nose as he neared the back porch. It was just about dinner time and the pack tended to take their meals together.

Paul, still wearing his wolf skin, yipped at the house trying to get the attention of the men inside. Jacob and the other guys had just stepped out into the evening air when Mat came slamming out of the trees and launched himself at Paul's side, tumbling into the wolf and rolling across the ground with him, both animals growling and flashing impressive canines.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Jacob demanded, taking in the sight of the youngest member of his pack attacking one of his brothers.

Embry and Quil quickly phased and blocked Mat from lunging at Paul again, while Paul returned to his human form to answer Jacob's question.

"It seems Mat's missing a little bit of information, and he's a little upset about it," Paul answered.

"Am I to gather from the overwhelming smell of Bella rolling off you that they've met?"

Mat took the few moments of this exchange to phase back and spit out, "If you mean I caught this traitor fucking some leech, then yeah, we've met." His body continued to quiver as if it was caught between forms, the heat of his temper vibrating in the air around him.

Seth, who was standing next to Jacob, started laughing, "Aw, man, you caught them? That's priceless. Care to share the spicy details?"

It was Paul's turn to snarl as he shot a glare and hurled a rock towards Seth, catching the young guy in the chest.

"Ow, fuck, man, that hurt." Seth rubbed at the spot where the rock had made contact.

"Knock it off, all of you." Jacob's voice carried the Alpha timbre that caused all of the men to stand up straight and pay attention, "Paul, go shower off, none of us needs to bear further witness to your afternoon's activities. Mat, cool off and throw on some clothes before joining us for dinner. I'm not explaining anything to you while you're standing naked in the yard."

Jacob turned around and made his way back indoors, pulling Seth alongside before he could ask any more questions. Embry and Quil phased back and walked past Mat, heading out to their vehicles for a new set of clothing, having shredded their's when they changed quickly to help defend Paul from Mat's attack.

"Dude, that was my favorite pair of jeans. You owe me." Embry pointed a finger and jabbed it into Mat's chest before heading back in.

Mat felt like he wanted to howl and pull his hair out at the same time, "Have you idiots lost your freaking mind? There's a vampire hiding out there in the woods and you guys are gonna sit down and eat dinner?!"

Quil snorted in response, "It was just Bella, Mat, and she's no threat to the tribe. If you're so worried, grab your spare clothes and go ask Jake what the deal is."

Mat was left standing out in the yard by himself, still irritated by the lack of response from his fellow pack mates. Since that fateful afternoon where he twisted in agony on the floor of his bedroom before finally giving in to the animal instinct that overtook his body, he had one impulse that seemed to run on loop through his brain – all vampires were to be eradicated. Mat didn't have to question the impulse, he simply followed it, and in return, the tribe would remain safe.

Now some tiny little brunette with freaky eyes and the ability to hold him captive had taken a sledge hammer to his firm foundation. And she wasn't satisfied with just breaking through the surface, no, she'd wedged herself deep into his thoughts with that little stunt of hers. Try as he might, even though his anger flared red hot, when he closed his eyes, he could still see the look of ecstasy on her face as she touched herself while Paul took her from behind, and his dick twitched in response.

_Ah, hell no, I am NOT going there. I'll go drown myself in the ocean before I ever thinking of screwing some cold, dead corpse walking around like she owns the place. I'll pour bleach into my ears, until it saturates my brain and scrubs away those images._

Pulling a navy blue hooded sweatshirt over his head, Mat closed the door to his truck and headed back towards the house, determined to get some answers. He walked in the back door, jaw clenched tight, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring towards his leader, "So, I'm here, start talking."

"Mat, lovely to see you too this evening," Emily arched an eyebrow, "Would you care for some lasagna?"

"No thanks, I'm good," was his clipped response, not breaking eye contact with Jacob's face.

"Let me rephrase that. It's dinnertime, you're a guest in my home, sit your ass down and grab a plate." Emily stared him down with both hands on her hips while his brothers seated around the table chuckled.

Reluctantly, Mat kicked out the feet of the closest chair away from the table and took a seat, but didn't make any further moves to fill the plate in front of him. The other guys stopped eating long enough to glance between Mat and Jacob who was still busy scarfing down his second serving of pasta. It was like watching a tennis match, multiple sets of eyes would glance right then left, waiting to see who would break first. Finally, Jacob wiped his face and took a drink from his glass of water before placing his crumpled napkin on his plate.

"We already told you that there was a group of local vampires that come and go in this area from time to time, yeah?"

"Yes, but you also explained that they were currently holed up elsewhere, _and _we had an agreement with them that they were to stay _off _our land. That female wasn't fifty yards from the local beach. Who was supposed to be on patrol? Why didn't they stop her?" Mat started rapid firing questions Jacob's direction.

"Would you like to shut up and get some answers or would you like to take over as Alpha of this pack and implement your own agenda?" Jacob challenged.

Mat took the sincerity of his tone for what is was and forced his mouth to stop talking.

"Anyhow, Bella was living in Forks the last time the Cullen clan came through. It's the very reason why this pack was formed, in response to their presence. It had been years since we'd had anyone go through the transition."

"Bella, while still a human, befriended the family. Hell, she even fell in love with one of them. But, he was a complete ass, insisted that he was only a danger to her and broke off the relationship before leaving town, and leaving her behind. Bella was a wreck, grieving over that brain-dead idiot after his disappearance. She withdrew from family and friends, took to wandering the woods alone. She stopped being Bella and just became the very living corpse we accuse those monsters of being."

Jake placed his elbows on the table, folding his hands and resting his chin on them before taking a breath to continue, "Bella and I were always friends. We grew up side-by-side, our fathers were best buds, they took us fishing together when we were barely toddlers. It killed me to see how broken she was, and I did everything I could to try and cheer her up. It even worked for awhile."

"But," and with the turning point of the story on the horizon, Jake stared out the window towards the woods, "I went through transition myself. You know how it is, your body is a mess shifting from one form to another, your mind is overwhelmed by all the new sensations, you can't control your emotions. I wasn't in my own mind, let alone could I be there for Bella. I withdrew from our friendship, spending my time with Sam and the rest of the pack or scouting the woods."

"Anyways, we knew there were a few vampires in the area and we were patrolling our borders 24/7. I was out one afternoon and picked up a scent. I alerted the rest of the group and we started to track him down, but somewhere along the way his scent crossed another….Bella's. She had taken off hiking that day. Alone."

Grief took its toll across Jacob's features, and the rest of the men around the table had stopped eating, finding somewhere else to occupy their eyes, whether it was their hands or just a spot on the wall.

"When we got to the clearing, he'd already attacked her and was trying to drink her dry. I don't remember much about taking him down, I just remember hearing the sound of him being torn apart, that shrieking of metal being ripped into pieces. By the time I had slowed down, he was just a mess of torn tissue and bones. I ran to Bella's side, hoping for the best but knowing she was already gone. She was so still and lifeless, blood soaking the collar of her shirt. I didn't know what else to do, I couldn't save her or bring her back, so I just laid down by her side. If only we had moved a little quicker, gotten there sooner…"

"Aw, Jake, is it regretful story hour again?" A female voice questioned from the doorway, breaking the silent tension in the room. Bella stood there in the doorway will a half-smile on her face, meeting Jake's eyes with her own.

Mat jumped out of his seat, spinning so that his back was turned from her, looking like he wanted to pounce.

"Sit back down, Fido. You're not in danger from me. I'd hate to lock you back down again, but I won't have you wrecking Emily's kitchen. She'd make me clean up the mess and rebuild the table before the sun rose tomorrow morning." Bella threw a wink Emily's way before crossing the room to ruffle Jake's hair and place a kiss on the top of his head.

"So, that doesn't explain things. I thought you said when you found her, she was dead." Mat had refused to sit back down, but he had backed up against the nearest counter, crossing his arms again and never letting his eyes leave Bella's moving form.

"No, he thought I was dead, but in fact, the vampire venom had already started working its way through my system. The other vampire hadn't drained me completely, so I still had enough life left in me to transition. Jake had barely settled down next to me before it felt like I was on fire and I started screaming from the pain," Bella grimaced from the memory, "I think he felt he was responsible for what had happened, so he never left my side the entire time as I transformed from human to vampire. Nothing better than waking up to a new life where the only thing you smell is wet dog."

"Yes, and spending two days cuddled up to the screaming banshee was a real picnic," Jake joked back.

"When I came to, I was the blood-thirsty monster you keep rambling on about, sworn enemy to the tribe. But, Jake had pity on me and he was still my best friend. He couldn't destroy me, and it wasn't as if I chose to become what I am. We came to an agreement. I wouldn't feed off the tribe, and the pack would let me live."

Mat snorted, "So what, you just go out in town and find a person or two to murder instead? That hardly seems right."

"With as many times as you and I have stared in each other's eyes today, you haven't noticed anything different?" Bella smirked at Mat's blushing face over her question.

He looked down at the ground, trying to push back the memories that were racing through his brain of just how many times he'd watched her that day. "They're some freaky yellow color, doesn't make you less of a killer."

"True, but it does denote what I eat, which is animals. Not people."

Mat's head snapped up at her last sentence, looking around the table at the rest of the pack. Jake just nodded his head in agreement.

"I've never taken a human life, not in the ten years since the day I was changed. Jake and the rest of the guys served as my guard the first few years, making sure I didn't mess up. To show my thanks, I help protect the tribe as well. Not to mention, they get a little lazy from lack of action if I don't challenge them to a fight now and then."

"Aw, B, you know we're faster and stronger, you've just got that weird shield shit that gives you the upper hand," Seth whined. He'd moved from the table to stand next to Bella, looping an arm around her shoulder, trying to convey to Mat that she was, indeed, family.

"What's he talking about? Your shield?"

"You had first hand experience of that today. I suppose I should apologize for that. It wasn't fair of me to hold you against your will. Sorry." Bella offered the sentiment to Mat, but he didn't think she was really sorry about having him as a captive audience.

Bella continued, "I have the ability to block people out, to literally project a shield around me. But, I can also manipulate it so it pushes and traps things if I want it to, like I did with you today. I can even shield my scent from others, like I'm doing right now. Helps you not want to kill me. Past experience shows that sometimes having me around is too much for your natural instinct and you try and take a bite."

Bella glanced meaningfully at the young man who was towering over her right side. Seth sheepishly lowered his head, "I said I was sorry a million times, B. We got your hand reattached."

The other wolves laughed around the table, but Mat still couldn't let go of the panic that was sitting just under his skin, telling him he was in danger.

"So, Bella, Mat here was telling us that he got a front row seat to the action this afternoon, but he won't share the details." Seth started wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Dammit, Seth, I _do not _want to know. I do not need to hear this." Jacob placed his hands over his ears, and started singing loudly to himself.

"Doesn't matter anyways, they'll all see it first hand from my mind next time I phase." Matt replied.

"Actually, they won't," Bella smiled cockily, "Another little side effect of my gift, I can shield your memories of me. You have them, but you can't share them. They are yours and yours alone." Again she winked at him.

"Yeah, so we already know Paul won't fess up, we were kind of hoping you'd share." Quil had joined in on the teasing.

"No, some of us do not vote for sharing is caring," Jacob gathered the plate of the female next to him and got up from the table and placed his dishes in the sink, "You can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?" He questioned his best friend.

Bella just smiled in return, "Yeah, but you love me anyways. Wanna go for a run?"

"As if you had to ask," Jake walked back to the table and leaned over to give his imprint a kiss, "Be back in an hour, babe?"

"Yes, yes. Go run and play, but make sure you shower off before coming into the house when you get back. I'm done having to mop up mud from the floors," She returned the kiss, "See you later, Bells."

Bella had suddenly appeared by the girl's side and leaned in for a quick hug, "Thanks, Cali, for letting me borrow him. If he doesn't listen, I will personally kick his ass and make him mop the floors for you."

"As if you could do that"

"Jacob Black, you know I could own your ass and make you do anything of my choosing," Bella challenged.

"_If_ you could catch me." Jacob taunted, heading out the door into the night.

The sound of chairs scraping across the floor filled the air, as the rest of the pack made to clean away the remaining dinner dishes. Mat still stood there at the counter, watching a long braid of brown hair and a curvy little ass of one natural born enemy sway out the door, and feeling that this whole situation was fucked up.

**A/N: Aaawwww, I kind of really love these guys. I hope I enjoy writing them as much as I have so far. I felt the wolf pack made more of a homey family around Bella than the Cullens. Care to review? I heart encouraging words!**


	3. Chapter 3 Me & My Shadow

**Disclaimer: Twilight is Stephanie Meyer's creation. I'm only borrowing what she began. **

_***** Chapter 3 – Me & My Shadow *****_

Bella stretched her legs, eating up the miles with each lengthened stride, feeling Jake keep pace to her left as they made their way up the coast. God, she hated reliving old memories, seeing Jake's guilt threaten to consume him once again.

Waking up a lone vampire in the midst of a wolf pack brought with it a certain tension. On the one hand, Bella was the very thing they were sworn to protect their friends and family from, but on the other, she was their family and friend as well. Some of the guys had demanded her death, Paul being one of them, but Jake's sense of responsibility kept him from ending her life the second time. He thought her dead as she lay bleeding on the grass that afternoon, his grief razor-sharp and clawing at his chest, seizing his lungs so he couldn't catch his breath. He could only lay down by her side, slipping under the waves of sadness and drowning in the loss. When her ear-piercing shrieks yanked him out of the darkness, he felt helpless to comfort her twisted form that writhed in agony, but he also felt hope. There was fear that this new creature would be fueled by a blood lust that would not be assuaged, but there was also hope that some part of the girl he loved was still in there, that Bella would win the fight against the monster within and his best friend would return.

Bella had debated leaving the Pacific Coast to search out others of her kind. She had enough knowledge to try and track down the Cullens, and maybe she could go to Alaska, search out the Denalis, and get them to point her in the right direction. In those early days, she could feel the disgust some of the wolves projected having to share space with a vampire. They would flinch if she came close, turning their frames so they could always keep their eyes on her, never running ahead of her, but remaining behind so she couldn't ambush them from behind. Without Jacob's guilt over her human death and his never-ending efforts to try and make it up to her, Bella would have left the place she once called home behind, but she knew this would leave Jacob heart-broken and refused to be the source of any more of his pain. Instead, she made the most of her days, trying to be more than just a "leech" and endearing herself to the men she now considered family.

The sound of Jacob's labored panting pulled Bella out of her memories and she came to a graceful halt next to a swift-running stream.

Glancing down at the watch on her wrist, she noticed they had been running for a little over half an hour, "Ready to head back? We'll be cutting it close as is, and I really don't want to invite the wrath of Cali if you're late. You'll be sleeping on the couch and she won't be so understanding next time I need a running partner."

Jacob took a long pull from the cool water, ducking his head under the surface, shaking the water off his muzzle onto the female standing close by.

"Ew, you ass, I do not need a shower of creek water and dog drool."

Jacob only wagged his tail and bumped into her side before taking off, back the way they had come. Bella quickly followed, letting him take the lead on the return trip.

Stopping in front of Jacob's house, Bella turned her eyes towards the horizon as Jake shifted and pulled on some shorts he had stowed on the porch.

Once he was clothed, he came over to hug Bella from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder and looking out into the night.

"Jake?"

He yawned in response, weary from the speed of their run, "Hmm?"  
>"Promise me you'll let today go and won't be slouching around here for the next few days, feeling guilty."<p>

"What makes you think I would do something like that?"

Bella snorted, "Because you do it every time we have to relive those first few days. And I repeat, I _don't _blame you and I refuse to let you blame yourself."

"Yeah, yeah."  
>Bella elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to bend forward, "I mean it."<p>

"Fine, Bells, I will go forth guilt-free."

"Whatever, smart ass. Get in there before your woman locks you out of the house." Bella turned in his arms and gave the towering man a gentle hug, "Love you."

Jake froze in her embrace, smelling the air as Bella heard the sound of paws approaching their location.

"Go on in, I've got this."

Jacob looked out into the tree line around his home, "You sure?"  
>"Seriously? I handled myself around an entire pack of haters, I can handle this one newbie to the group."<p>

Jacob stared intently out into the darkness, trying to convey his annoyance over this unexpected arrival before turning and going inside.

Bella didn't bother to turn around and confront her visitor. Instead she headed towards a motorcycle that was parked by Jake's garage.

"Are you planning on applying for the position of being my personal shadow?"

Mat had shifted, anticipating a confrontation from his pack leader, "Something like that. I don't know what you've done to the other guys around here, maybe used your magic to lull them into a false sense of security, but I don't trust you."

"Magic? I'm a vampire not a witch." Bella pulled a pack off the back of the bike, swinging it up onto her shoulders.

"I already know you have special powers. Witch or not, who's to say you don't have some way of hypnotizing the others to believe you're something you're not?"

"Touché. So, you're just going to follow me around? Make sure I don't run off into the night with some sleeping children, cook them into a stew?"

"I'll do what I need to do to make sure the others are safe."

Bella turned to face him, "Fine. Have it your way. I can handle one measly mutt on my tail. Since you're so interested in my dinner, you can come share snack time with me. I won't slow my pace for you, and if you scare off my food, I'm using your ass as my meal replacement. Understood?"

"Lead on, leach."

Bella returned to the woods she had abandoned, her shadow close behind.

Stopping at the edge of a clearing, Bella came to a halt and silently placed her pack onto the ground. In the full moon's light she could see the small herd of deer grazing peacefully, not having caught her scent or sound. She placed her hand up into the air, indicating that Mat should halt his steps before pointing to a fallen tree to her right.

Mat turned his gaze, his lupine eyes falling onto the image of a mountain lion who was also watching the herd of deer, completely unaware of Bella's presence. Without warning, the lion leapt from his perch taking after the herd and jumping onto the back of a young female. Bella stood still as the lion embedded his teeth into the fawn's neck, waiting for the right moment.

Once the animal was distracted, Bella broke through the edge of the clearing, ripping the lion off of the deer's hide. With the disconnection of teeth, the pierced artery of the fallen animal sprayed blood into the air and onto Bella and her new sparring partner. Bella ignored the deer dying on the ground, eyes focused on the lion that was her prey all along.

Mat watched with fascination the action unfolding in front of him. The mountain lion at first was just trying to defend its kill, unaware that his enemy wasn't trying to steal his catch, but was intent on catching him. Hackles raised he swiped at the figure in front of him, as Bella just grinned wickedly at his feeble attempt. Several pieces of hair had come loose from her braid, framing her face. Blood spatter had dried on her skin, and her black tank had several tears just under the shoulder line from the over-sized feline's claws. She radiated a deep dark energy that conveyed death would come soon.

In one graceful leap, Bella jumped over the creature in front of her, twisting around and placing the animal in a deadly hold and latching her mouth onto the animal's jugular. Dragging the animal down to the ground, her eyes closed and her throat worked to swallow the life flooding out her captive's veins. The animal's struggles slowed down before coming to a stop and Mat could see the life leave the animal's eyes. Once drained, Bella let the animal fall to the ground, inhaling the night air before turning her gaze toward Mat's hiding place. Her eyes appeared to have had a flame lit from within, their golden gaze bright and shining.

She quickly made her way over to her pack and returned to the side of the bleeding deer that had been left behind by the rest of the herd. The animal was panting and in pain before Bella quickly snapped its neck and began to remove things from her bag.

"What, you don't need a second course after a big cat?"

"Actually, I don't" Without looking up at Mat, Bella removed a knife and some butcher paper. She inserted the blade into the animal, making quick work of breaking it down into cuts of meat that she would then wrap.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize vampires cooked venison for their meals. I thought you were on a strict liquids-only diet."

Bella could hear the snarky tone color his voice as it traveled through the air, even if the man remained hidden in the trees. Rolling her eyes, she thought, _as if I've never seen a naked man before. _

"Are you always so delightful to be around? With that attitude of yours, I can't imagine making friends is difficult. They must just flock to your charm."

"Are you always such a sarcastic bitch?"

Bella locked gazes, revealing a razor sharp grin, "Absolutely."

Finishing the task at hand, Bella packed the cuts of meat into her bag before standing up, "The mountain lion was enough, so to answer your question, I don't need any more food at the moment. However, I won't let this go to waste. There's a deep freezer behind the reservation's community center that the tribe installed for me. If there's a kill I don't need, I take the meat and place it into the freezer. Emily and Cali use it for the feeding program they run that takes meals to elderly tribe members. I try to keep them stocked as well as I can. Helps reduce the cost of running the program."

Mat couldn't release the chip he was carrying on his shoulder, "Aren't you right in line for sainthood."

"Look," Bella ignored his jab, "I realize what it takes for people around here to accept me, and I will be forever grateful for every moment they choose to include me. So, whether you approve of my activities or think I'm secretly poisoning their food matters little to me. You inquired what I was doing, I answered. Screw you if you don't like the explanation."

Returning the bag to her shoulder, Bella turned in the direction of the center, not stopping to see if Mat would follow.

Mat remained in wolf form, watching as Bella unloaded her kill into the freezer. He didn't want to continue the back and forth snapping at each other, but simply waited for her to finish. He mulled over her actions, knowing the tribe was lucky to have a provider who demanded nothing in return, but resisting the way her actions tried to sand down some of the barrier that kept him from warming up to her.

_That's exactly what she'd want, for me to join the rest and let down my guard. Well I'm not so easily fooled, it's gonna take more than one nice act to convince me._

As if sensing that she wasn't going to get anywhere trying to plea her case to the stubborn male watching her, Bella finished her task without bothering to speak to Mat and once again ran off into the night. This time she made her way to the edge of the river that wound inland from the nearby ocean, dropping her pack at the shore.

Mat didn't bother to hide, but rested his haunches on the pebbled beach. Rolling his eyes, he thought, _what's next, fishing?_

Hearing the shift of fabric, Mat realized he hadn't been paying attention, and turned to see Bella throw her clothing onto the ground before walking nude into the water. She let her body be carried under the moving current and Matt waited as the minutes passed for her to resurface.

_I suppose that can take a little longer when you don't need oxygen. _

He glanced across the river, perusing the shore line to see if she'd tried ditching him by exiting on the other side, but he saw no movement in any direction. Finally he caught her body breaking through the surface, watching as the water slid down the sides of her body, the full moon leaving nothing to shadow.

Mat took in her long dark hair that almost reached her waist, taking note that she'd freed it from the braid she had twisted it into earlier. His eyes skimmed over full breasts with deep rose colored nipples and tapered waist, continuing its path down to the supple curves of her ass and the folds between her thighs. Bella inspected her skin, searching for any trace of the deer's blood that had fallen on it during the evening's hunt. She gathered her hair in her hands, squeezing most of the water out of it, releasing it back to its freefall over her shoulders.

Mat had gotten lost in watching the woman in front of him, for his body saw her as a woman and nothing more. Fur gave way to skin and he found himself standing on the shore, exposed with his cock thickening from the rush of blood that had picked up speed along with his breath.

Bella could hear the change in his heart rate and she took time to run her hand along her breasts and along her stomach, pretending to rub away dirt that wasn't there. Mat caught on to what she was doing too late and having closed his eyes to cut away the image in front of him, he didn't react fast enough to Bella closing the gap between their bodies.

"Mmm, nice manscaping. I know how you wolf boys love to keep everything neat and trim." Bella didn't hide the way her eyes were taking in his hardened length, and she moved her hand as if to touch his body.

"Don't. Fucking. Touch. Me." Mat ground out.

"Oooh, would you prefer to touch yourself? Isn't that naughty?" Bella leaned forward just enough that he could feel her whispered words brush across his skin. In response, his cock only hardened further, aching for attention.

"Go ahead and touch yourself, Mat. Show me how you like it. Do you prefer long slow strokes or are you more into a rough firm grip that picks up speed. Give in to your body, teach me how you find your release." Bella ran her tongue across her lips as she looked into Mat's dark brown eyes. His body trembled under her gaze.

He closed his eyes again, pulling in all the anger he felt at his body's betrayal and Bella swiftly moved backwards as he shifted in a burst of heat and took off into the darkness. She let him go; moving back to her bag to remove a fresh set of clothes and dressed in the moonlight.

She could admit that she was turned on by the exchange. If he had given her the chance, she would have dropped to her knees and let him fuck her mouth slowly, taking in every inch until he found the release his body had wanted. Sure, he harbored this unfounded hatred of her, but that only freed her from having to worry about an emotional attachment. Love wasn't what she was looking for, anyhow. But a well built man who was good in and out of bed? That certainly helped her pass the never ending stretch of days she now lived.

**A/N: So…..a little bit of heat is always enjoyable, no? I love to give her free reign to torment our poor confused boy. Till next time! R&R! **

**XOXO**


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